The body of a dead girl is found at Bulkya Docks, on the border between Beszel and Ul Qoma - two cities with a division like no other. Resident of the crumbling city of Beszel and Inspector of the Extreme Crime Squad, TYADOR BORLÚ takes on the case, assisted by OFFICER LIZBYET CORWI. The girl's body was seen dumped on the wasteland by a yellow van, and DETECTIVE NAUSTIN presumes the girl must have been a hooker. Cases like this are run of the mill for Borlú, but he notices strange similarities to an old case. The body was found in an area with lots of cross-hatching with Ul Qoma. COMMISSAR GADLEM thinks this is a case for Breach - the secret police who ruthlessly patrol all cross-border crime. Gadlem thinks maybe someone else should take it on, and that maybe it's too personal for Borlú - But Borlú insists he can handle it. As Unificationists protest that Ul Qoma and Beszel should become one city, Borlú receives a call from someone who says she was friends with the dead girl and ...

After attempting to illegally crossover into Ul Qoma, Mr Geary is taken by Breach and swiftly deported from Beszel with his wife. Borlú is desperate to know who Mr Geary was planning to meet, but it is out of his hands. Major Syedr leads a rally before swarms of True Citizens - the extreme right nationalist group in Beszel. Borlú thinks that TCs were involved in Mahalia's death, that Syedr is hiding something and knows more about Mahalia's death than he's letting on. Before Borlú can ask him more questions, one of Syedr's men launches a snooker ball at Borlú, knocking him out. Gadlem tells Borlú Mahalia's murder is now with the Ul Qoman Militsya. Borlú doesn't want to give the case up - he needs to go to Ul Qoma to investigate it. Maybe Katrynia is still there? Maybe he can find her? Borlú takes the orientation course, learning to see Ul Qoma and block out Beszel, and he remembers when he first did the course all those years ago with Katrynia. Corwi gives Borlú a code if he runs into ... Written by Mammoth Screen

Borlu is arrested for trespass at the archaeological dig where Yolanda, his anonymous informant and Mahalia's friend, was last seen. However, under Quissima's protection, he is introduced to David Bowden who tells him both girls were looking for Orciny at the site. He fails to recognize Borlu, who suspects he has a link to his wife's disappearance. Soon afterwards Bowden vanishes and the dig is closed down. Borlu tracks down Yolanda, who tells him Orciny was a group to which Mahalia belonged before they betrayed her and Borlu resolves to smuggle her into Beszel, where Lizbyet has discovered that Gorse heads an international corporation. However something goes wrong. Written by don @ minifie-1

Following the disastrous shoot-out on the border between the two cities Borlu wakes up in the custody of the Secret Service, Breach, who tell him Katrinya was last seen in Bowden's company. On release he explains to Gadlem that he has evidence to prove Bowden's friendship with mining boss Gorse, who has been making deals with Syedr, but is suspended from duty. However Lizbyet has a surprise for him which enables him to link Katrinya to Mahalia as seekers for Orciny. Returning to Ul Qoma with Lizbyet he discovers the importance of Orciny to those who wish to save or exploit it, as well as the fate of his wife. Written by don @ minifie-1